Swedish and Japanese SUVs score top marks in more stringent set of ANCAP tests

The new Mazda CX-8 and Volvo XC40 have both been awarded a five-star safety rating by ANCAP, under the updated testing regimedescribed as the "toughest" to date.

The XC40 scored 97 per cent for adult occupant protection, 84 per cent for child occupant protection, 71 per cent for vulnerable road user protection and 78 per cent in the safety assist category. Those ratings apply to all-wheel drive variants

Tested by Euro NCAP, the XC40 had its cyclist detection, night-time pedestrian detection and lane-keep assist put through their paces for a more accurate 'safety assist' score. The new Nissan Leaf was the first car to go through the testing.

“The XC40 performed well across all areas of assessment, offering emergency lane keeping functionality and the full range of autonomous emergency braking systems,” said James Goodwin, CEO of ANCAP.

Moving to the Mazda, ANCAP scored it 96 per cent in adult occupant protection, 87 per cent in child occupant protection, 72 per cent for vulnerable road user protection and 73 per cent for safety assist.

“It’s encouraging to see Mazda and Volvo set the standard, with their CX-8 and XC40 models being the first to step up and achieve 5 stars against our increased test standards,” said Goodwin.

“Good levels of performance were achieved by the CX-8 in the area of Child Occupant Protection, with our assessment engineers praising its ability to safely accommodate child restraints in all five rear seating positions.”